Water channel control gate



R. A. HILL WATER CHANNEL CONTROL GATE Nov. 10, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 5. 1949 EHYMOND A. ELL

I N VEN TOR.

firralaus'z Nov. 10, 1953 R. A. HILL 2,658,351

WATER CHANNEL CONTROL GATE Filed Feb. 5, 1949 EShoets-Sheet 2 451Q4YM0/v0 fl. JY/LL,

w I INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. lO, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention has to do generally with gate structures for controllingthe flow of water in channels, which may vary in width from relativelynarrow canals or channels, to the greater widths encountered in damspillways. Particularly the invention is directed to improvements inflow control gates mounted for vertical swinging movement between raisedwater passing positions and a lowered position in which the gate restson the channel bed to substantially close the water flow through thechannel.

Considering as typical the conventional types of spillway gates, theusual practice has been to employ one or more gates each of which has arigid and relatively heavy face portion extending straight transverselyof the channel. Because of the water pressure loads, it has beenconsidered necessary to make the gates of rigid, strongly reenforcedconstruction entailing considerable masses and weights of material.Then, due to the great weight of heavy gates, or gate face, it has beendesirabl to compensate for the otherwise excessive power that would berequired to elevate the gate, by employing counterweighted or basculetype constructions, involving the use of additional masses and materialsand at corresponding expense.

The present invention represents a distinct departure from suchconventional practices in that it is predicated on certain principlesrendering it possible to reduce to a widely contracted minimum thematerial and weight requirements of the gate proper, and to eliminate ifdesired, such additional features as a counterweighting structuralcomponent of the gate. Briefly, the invention contemplates gates shapedso that the loads due to hydrostatic pressures are transmitted to thesupports by tension in the metal or other material forming the gate faceand bending moments are substantially eliminated. Under such conditionsit becomes possible to depart from the usual rigid and relativelymassive construction, in favor of a gate face formed of thin flexiblesheet metal having, notwithstanding its light weight and easymanipulability, all the structural and functional requirements of anefficient flow control gate.

Considered more particularly in its structural aspects, the present gateis mounted for vertical swinging movement on hinges or trunnions atdirectly opposite sides of the channel and eX- tends downstream withincreasing curvature from each point of support to the center of thegate. The exact form of the gate will depend in each instance on thedistance between supports, on

. movement by any suitable means.

the depth of the channel, and on the elevation of the supports above thebottom of the channel, and this form is theoretically a double curvedsurface similar to that which would be produced by the revolution of ahyperbola passing through the centers of the hinge or trunnion supports.In appearance the gate may be likened to a visor on a helmet or to ahammock swung to one side. In general, horizontal or inclined sectionsof the gate face which pass through hinge supports will be approximatelyhyperbolic in form, having the sharpest curvature in the center of thespan Where the hydrostatic pressures are greatest and progressively lesscurvature toward each end.

In the case of a large gate it will generally be advisable to provide,in addition to horizontal curvature, curvature in vertical planes so asto prevent distortion of the gate under possible unbalance lateralforces. Such stiffening of the gate face may be omitted in the case ofsmall gates.

It is contemplated that a gate or gates of this visor-type may be shapedso as to transmit all water loads to the hinge supports by tension inthe gate face without substantial bending moments with the gate closedand the water level at the top of the gate. By reason of its inherentflexibility the gate will deform sufficiently to adapt itself to thehydrostatic pressures resulting from any other depth of water in thechannel behind the gate without introducing substantial bending momentsin the steel or other material forming the gate.

As will appear, the invention is applicable to single gate unitinstallations, as within canals or other relatively narrow channels, orto multiple unit installations within wide channels, as for example damspillways. For the latter purpose, I may employ a series of connected orintegrated gate sections or units having the above describedcharacteristics and mounted for simultaneous vertical swinging movement.

It will be understood that the gate unit or units may be operated intheir opening and closing Merely as illustrative, an appropriateelevating mechanism may be carried by a pier located in the channel atthe downstream side of the gate and operatively connected to the gateface.

- All of the various features and objects of the invention, as well asthe details of certain illustrative embodiments, will be understood tobetter advantage from the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general plan view showing an interconnected series of thegate units for controlling the water flow in a relatively wide spillwaychannel;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the channel base receivingone of the gate sections, and taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionalview taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a plan view showing a single gate unit as used forcontrolling the flow through a relatively narrow channel.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the gate assembly generally indicated at I0,is shown to be positioned transversely within a channel II, for examplea dam spillwaychannel, defined at its sides by the concrete walls l2.The gate assembly l comprises a plurality, typically three, of gateunits including the outer units l3 and integrally connected intermediateunit ll. The outer units l3 are shown to be mounted for verticalswinging movement at the channel sides l2; as by suitable hingestructures generally indicated at l5. At their junctures, the units I3and M are connected to arms l6 pivotally mounted for swinging movementwithin upstanding portions ll of the concrete channel bed, as byappropriate hinges generally indicated at I8, and typified by hingebearings l9 terminally embedded in the concrete.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 4 and 5, each gate unit has, aspreviously indicated, the shape and moving characteristics of avertically swinging visor, the gate face being formed of thin flexiblematerial 20 such as sheet steel. As viewed in Fig. 1, or at anyhorizontal plane through the gate, the face 20 will be seen to beconcave downstream of the channel from the hinge locations I and it. Andas viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, the gate face 20' will be seen to havevertical concavity in all vertical planes across the gate, the verticalcurvature at the transverse center of the gate face preferably havingits center at substantially the hinge center line. It is found that whengiven substantially the illustrated shape, the hydrostatic upstream loadtends to be assumed uniformly at all corresponding depths by the sheetmetal 20 and to be resisted by tension in the metal. Any departure fromthe true theoretical shape in the gate curvature as initiallyfabricated, is compensated by the inherent flexibility of the gate andits conformability to the applied pressures.

The sheet metal face 20 may be given any suitable reenforcement toresist unbalanced lateral forces without affecting its ability toconform to the hydrostatic loads on the gate face. Such reenforcementshould be in vertical planes, preferably at locations spacedtransversely of the gate to preserve its flexibility between the pointsof reenforcement. Typically, the sheet 20 is shown to be reenforced bytransversely spaced internal ribs 22 each consisting essentially of ahollow, light weight beam having parallel sheet metal sides 23 and aninner longitudinally straight plate 24. By reason of their shapecharacteristics and hollow formation, the beams 22 adequately supportand reenforce the face 20, while, minimizing the addition to the gateweight required for its reenforcement.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 6, the outer ends of the units I: are shown tobe connected to the hinges I 5 in each instance by a pair of arms 25 towhich the sheet 20 is welded. The arms are attached to bearing rings 28engaging a spherical hub 21 which in turn is rotatable on the hinge pin28 carried by bracket plates 30, the latter bearing against the inclinedcompression concrete shoulder 3| and being strongly fixed in place bybolts 32 embedded in the concrete. The brackets may be additionallyanchored by the connected and concrete embedded tie rods 33.

It will be understood that in the down or closed position illustrated inFig. 4, the bottom edges of the gates are intended to rest on the bottomsurfaces of the channel, and therefore that the channel will be shapedaccordingly. Thus as illustrated in Fig. 3, that portion Ila of thechannel controlled by an individual gate unit, as for example theintermediate unit I4, has sloping sides 34, the angularity and curvatureof which varies longitudinally of the channel section so that whendropped to its down position, the bottom edges of the gate will contactthe channel walls to substantially close the flow of water through thechannel.

As previously indicated, any suitable means may be employed for raisingand lowering the gate units. Merely as illustrative, I have shown thegate assembly to be operated by power driven hoists conventionallyindicated at 35, carried by concrete piers 36 positioned centrally andopposite the nose of each gate unit at the downstream side thereof. Eachhoist may comprise a motor driven power unit 31 (the motors of all thehoists being synchronized to operate together) connected by cable 88running over pulley 39 with the gate faceat its transverse center. Thecable connection with the gate preferably is made by way of an arcuatebeam 40, see Figs. 2 and 5, carried by the gate face and having aconnection as at If with the cable 38. Thus the beam 40 serves as avertically swinging segment from which the cable extends in tangentialrelation at all open positions of the gate, one of which is indicated inFig. 4 by the broken lines 42.

In Fig. '7 I show a variational embodiment of the invention in the formof a single gate unit 43 having the same shape and structuralcharacteristics as the previously described units l3 and i4, andcontained in a relatively narrow channel or canal 44. As before, thelateral extremities of the gate are mounted by hinges 45 supported bythe concrete side walls 46 of the channel, for vertical swingingmovement. And again as before, the gate may be controlled in its openingand closing movements by an appropriate hoist 41 connected to the gateface by cable I! and carried on the downstream pier 49.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising a water channel having sides slopinginwardly to the base of the channel, a flow control gate extendingtransversely within the channel, hinges at opposite sides of the channelmounting the gate for vertical swinging movement and between which thegate has continuous extent to seat on the .bottom and sides of thechannel, flexible sheet metal forming the face of the gate and variablydeformable at different depths in accordance with the different waterpressures applied to the upstream side of the gate at those depths, andrigid reenforcing members attached to said sheet metal face andrelatively movable to permit the aforesaid deformation of the face, saidgate face being curved concavely in a horizontal plane and downstreamdirection and being curved concavely downstream in a vertical plane.

2. The combination comprising a water channel having sides slopinginwardly to the base of the channel, a flow control gate extendingtransversely within the channel, hinges at opposite sides of the channelmounting the gate for vertical swinging movement and between which thegate has continuous extent to seat on the bottom and sides of thechannel, flexible sheet metal forming the face of the gate and variablydeformable at different depths in accordance with the different waterpressures applied to the upstream side of the gate at those depths, andrigid reenforcing members attached to said sheet metal face andrelatively movable to permit the aforesaid deformation of the face, saidgate face having approximately hyperbolic concavity in a horizontalplane and downstream direction and being curved concavely downstream ina vertical plane.

3. The combination comprising a water channel having sides slopinginwardly to the base of the channel, a flow control gate extendingtransversely within the channel, hinges at opposite sides of the channelmounting the gate for vertical swinging movement and between which thegate has continuous extent to seat on the bottom and sides of thechannel, flexible sheet metal forming the face of the gate and variablydeformable at different depths in accordance with the different Waterpressures applied to the upstream side of the gate at those depths,spaced vertically extending reenforcing ribs attached to the upstreamside of said sheet metal face and relatively movable to permit theaforesaid deformation of the face, said gate face being curved concavelyin a horizontal plane and downstream direction and being curvedconcavely downstream in a vertical plane and the top and bottom edges ofthe gate being relatively convergent from the transverse center of thegate to said hinges.

4. The combination comprising a water channel having sides slopinginwardly to the base of the channel, a flow control gate extendingtransversely within the channel, hinges at opposite sides of the channelmounting the gate for vertical swinging movement and between which thegate has continuous extent to seat on the bottom and sides of thechannel, flexible sheet metal forming the face of the gate and variablydeformable at different depths in accordance with the different waterpressures applied to the upstream side of the gate at those depths,rigid reenforcing members attached to said sheet metal face andrelatively movable to permit the aforesaid deformation of the face, saidgate face being curved concavely in a horizontal plane and downstreamdirection and being curved concavely downstream in a vertical plane, apier in the channel at the downstream side of the gate, and meanscarried by the pier and connected to the gate for swinging the gatevertically.

5. The combination comprising a main water channel including a pluralityof parallel inner channels each having sides sloping inwardly to thebase of the channel, a flow control gate structure extendingtransversely across the main channel and comprising a plurality ofsections extending in series transversely of the channel, hinges atopposite sides of each section mounting the section for verticalswinging movement and between which the section has continuous extent toseat on the bottom and sides of one of the inner channels, flexiblesheet metal forming the face of each section and variably deformable atdifferent depths in accordance with the different water pressuresapplied to the upstream side of the gate at those depths, rigidreenforcing members attached to said sheet metal face and relativelymovable to permit the aforesaid deformation of the face, the face ofeach section being carried concavely in a horizontal plane anddownstream direction and being curved concavely downstream in a verticalplane, spaced piers in the main channel at the downstream side of thegate structure, and means carried by said piers and attached to saidsections for swinging the structure vertically.

RAYMOND A. HILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,207,479 Danel July 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 47,908 Switzerland of 1909 367,530 Germany of 1923 419,426 Germanyof 1925 143,934 Switzerland of 1931 304,762 Italy of 1933

